


If He's the Sun...

by writingboom



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Angst, AtsuHina, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, Homophobia, I KNOW GUYS, Love Triangles, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Sexual Tension, Sort of? - Freeform, a little fluff, and Atsumu is secretly 10 years old, and lots and lots of flirting, im warning you now, light Violence, lots of, prince AU, princes have issues too, seriously tho im sorry, thats right it's, this wont be a happy ride, we got some, we switchin it up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:06:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23862016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingboom/pseuds/writingboom
Summary: If you fell in love with the sun, it would burn you, right?
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Comments: 13
Kudos: 111





	1. Meeting the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO! 
> 
> This is my first time posting something non-krbk, I know. But I had this idea and Im really excited for this story, so I hope you all like it! It's gonna be long, and tense, and painful ;)
> 
> Love you all!!!

Atsumu Miya was good with going with the flow. 

Or, that’s what he called it. Wasn’t exactly like he had much choice in what he did in his life, but he didn’t exactly want to fight it. Being a Prince was like getting dragged through the forest by a rhinoceros, even if you get scratched up and bruised and tripped by roots, you keep going. It’s a fast moving train you can’t get off of. 

Of course, his twin brother Osamu managed to get off it. The meanie told their parents that he would be marrying his childhood girlfriend and if they forced him to do anything else he would run away. But that was fine. Good for him, or whatever. 

That just meant all the damn pressure to save their kingdom fell on Atsumu. 

It’s made things tense between their whole family. Osamu stays out of the way, Atsumu sends him dirty looks and gives him the silent treatment. He’s older sure, but only by like…  _ one  _ minute. Why does that mean Osamu gets to do whatever he wants? 

Problems keep piling up. There’s been a drought. The kingdom’s money is diminishing, quickly. Other kingdoms keep threatening to invade. Rumors of riots spread like wildfire. So that means, according to his parents, that Atsumu needs to marry someone with power to save them. 

It’s a bad time to make arrangements. Most of the princes and princesses have already been betrothed, or even married. It turns out, the only kingdom who hasn’t, has an only son. 

Now, Atsumu doesn’t really think this should be a problem. He’s always had an open mind with men and women, in his teenage years he went to brothels and had plenty experiences with both. The only problem is that his parents know it’s the only option, to arrange Atsumu with another man, and they don’t seem too enthusiastic. One night he overheard his mother pacing in their private quarters, cursing the gods and cursing the other king and queen for “only having a son and ruining their lives.” 

It hurts to hear that a little, but Atsumu doesn’t dwell on it. He gets on well with everyone he meets, he’s charismatic and he’s grown to be a pro at adjusting his personality to be what he needs to be. If he gets to have children in his life, he does. If he doesn’t, that’s okay too. He’ll do what he needs to survive. 

The day of meeting the other family is daunting, but comes quickly regardless. They’re traveling to their kingdom before he knows it. He insists on taking a cart separately from Osamu, and ends up with his mother and his personal guard, Kita. 

His mother lays across her own cushioned seat leisurely, pushing her brown hair off her forehead and sighing, “I hope he’s soft spoken, for your sake Atsumu.” 

Kita sighs at his side. “I hope he’s not. It won’t last if Atsumu steam rolls him.” 

“ _ Excuse _ you! I do not steam roll. I am a very pleasant and personable person,” Atsumu pouts, scowling out the window. It’s only been a day of travel and he already wants to die. 

Both Kita and his mother are silent. It makes Atsumu angrier. They just don’t get it. He’s a  _ prince.  _ He has to do whatever is necessary, he has to be what people want. If he doesn’t, everything falls apart. There’s no room for him to be genuine. Being genuine, more often than not, just blows up in his face.

He watches the scenery go by, wide green plains with nothing tainting them but rolling hills and wildlife. Something strange and foreign settles in his gut, something like doom. A little voice in his head keeps whispering,  _ this is the rest of your life and your happiness and you have no control.  _ It makes him pout harder, crossing his arms obnoxiously.

_ You’re unlovable. Now someone is going to have to spend their life pretending to love you.  _

Atsumu rolls his eyes to push the thought away. That’s ridiculous. He’s a loved prince. His people love him, his staff loves him. He adjusts to fit them. He does it perfectly, practiced perfection. He’s loved. Girls throw themselves at his feet. Everyone knows his name. Everyone-

“Will you stop whispering those conceited things before we get there,” Kita mumbles. Atsumu freezes. “That won’t make a good first impression.” 

Atsumu feels the nerves in his gut twist tighter. Stupid Kita. He doesn’t  _ get  _ it. 

“And stop bouncing your leg….you  _ know _ that death glare doesn’t work on me, kid.” 

Atsumu sinks in defeat, Kita’s sharp brown eyes glancing at him leave no room for argument. Atsumu hates him, but the man really does know how to rein him in. Him and Osamu both. He’s been doing it since they were kids. 

He looks back out the window. What will his people say? Will they get.. properly married, or will it be more of a joint partnership? Is the prince straight? Will he find Atsumu disgusting if he tells him he isn’t? 

The rest of his life, huh? 

————- 

Their castle is a lot smaller than Inarizaki’s is. It’s grey and classically designed, but small. Like they were big and powerful a long, long time ago, but aren’t anymore. Atsumu hums as he looks around the entrance. He guesses that’s why he’s here, isn’t he? 

They’re greeted by a line of 6 guards when they’re welcomed inside. One steps forward, a short, tan man with brown hair. He smiles at the five of them, his parents, Osamu and Kita. Atsumu doesn’t like him, but fakes a smile to match his. 

“Welcome. I’m Daichi, the head guard here at Karasuno,” he says, voice deep and smooth and oddly intimidating. 

He glances to either side of him, and all the other guards around him jump into action immediately, stepping forward to bow and then tend to their luggage. Atsumu catches a gaze suddenly, a man just slightly shorter than him, with angry dark blue eyes and straight black hair. He glares at Atsumu so harshly nerves twist in his gut. What’s that guy’s problem? 

Atsumu holds his gaze though, even as he takes his brother’s luggage. He tilts his head confidently, looking down his nose. Not really a competition if one of you is handling luggage and the other is royalty. 

Eventually the guy scowls away, and all of the guards retreat down a corridor, assumingly where Atsumu and his family will be staying. Atsumu feels childish pride bubble up in his chest. Damn right. Stupid servant boy. 

“Please, follow me,” the main guard says. Atsumu pouts. 

“What’s his name again,” he whispers to his brother. Osamu scoffs. 

“ _ Daichi _ . What, do you just not listen anymore? This is important, you priss.” 

Atsumu just barely resists shoving him to the floor and hitting his stupid face. 

They follow...  _ Daichi, _ down a fairly short hall, his parents leading them and Kita behind. They step through the threshold into a shockingly large banquet hall. It’s gorgeous, Atsumu’s eyes widen as they scan over gold painted walls, and columns. Paintings of sun and birds decorate the wide expanse. He follows blindly into formation, meeting others always a face to face line between families. 

He stands next to his mother and Osamu, and when he looks in front of him his eyes land immediately on the prince. It’s not exactly on purpose. 

At first, what draws his gaze is the guy’s bright, bright orange hair. Fluffy and swooping out at all angles. And then, Atsumu notices how  _ short _ he is. 

He’s so small. Skinny and small. He must only come up to Atsumu’s shoulder. Confusion is the main emotion he feels, reminding himself that the guy is only one year younger. He’s fairly certain he’s never seen a twenty year old as small as this guy. 

“Karasuno welcomes you, Miya family,” the king says, booming on the prince’s left. He’s tall, or, normal sized. About as tall as Atsumu, if not a little taller. Why is the prince so small?

“Thank you for having us,” Atsumu’s father replies. All of them bow, and Atsumu rolls his shoulders back as they stand again. He hold his hands behind his back and smiles as pleasantly as he can. As is customary, his father introduces them down the line. 

“-my twin sons, Atsumu and Osamu, and our head guard, Kita.” Atsumu nods his head pleasantly, watches in his peripheral as his brother tilts his own half-assedly. 

When he opens his eyes a burst of humor almost causes him to laugh. The small prince’s face is contorted in confusion, eyes darting back and forth between him and Osamu as if he’s absolutely bewildered they’re both there. Yeah, they're technically identical twins and he’s sure that they look similar in their formal clothes, but Atsumu dies the top of his hair blonde. They don’t look like the  _ exact  _ same person anymore.

“This is our son, Shoyo,” Karasuno’s king says. The prince’s face doesn't change. Absolute bewilderment. 

Shoyo. 

Atsumu looks at him. God he is really small. Is he not done growing? Why is he so confused by him and Osamu, has he never seen twins before? Maybe not actually, this  _ is  _ a really small kingdom. It’s crazy how much money they have for their size, if he thinks about it. 

“I’m not one for dancing around things,” His mother’s deep, inpatient tone cuts through the pleasant, normal atmosphere, and he squeezes his hands together behind his back. 

“We’re here for an arrangement. I would like to begin discussing terms.” 

Atsumu stares at the ground. The air is tense, but it was bound to be as such at some point. The bright room doesn’t match the feeling in it, fake, desperate smiles and uncertainty. 

“Of course,” The king says, plastered smile not faltering even at Atsumu’s mother’s harsh tone. “Please, let’s go somewhere more comfortable.”

The red headed family turns and leads Atsumu’s family into another room across the banquet hall. It’s a huge, bright room, it contrasts the rest of the castle. Maybe they’re renovating? Atsumu doesn’t know, but he looks up and down the back of the small prince….Shoyo? Was that his name?

He leans close to his father and whispers, rather loudly, “Wait, am I gonna be marrying both of them?”

Atsumu snorts, and Kita kicks him in the thigh. They’re far enough behind them that there’s a low chance they heard. C’mon, it was funny. 

The king sighs, “No Shoyo, just Atsumu.”

“ _ Which one is he? _ ”

Turns out, there’s another warmly decorated room just off of the banquet hall, filled with nice couches, chairs and tables. It looks like it might’ve been a library at some point in time, but for now they all settle into the plush couches. Atsumu sits with his father this time, desperate to avoid sitting next to Atsumu or his silently simmering mother. The prince sits in his own single chair opposite him, staring hard at the tile floor with a frustrated expression. 

Karasuno’s queen sits delicately next to the king, hands tucked politely on her lap. Her hair is long and sort of reminds Atsumu of a lion’s mane. He’s pretty sure he’s only seen hair as red as theirs once or twice in his life. It’s very interesting. 

“I hope your trip was pleasant,” the queen says gently. Atsumu bites his tongue as he physically feels his mother’s inner rage worsen. She’s always had a short temper, but it’s usually passive. Maybe the strangeness of this situation is making the fuse shorter. 

“It was  _ fine _ , thank you, Mitsuri,” she says, voice thick and heavy like molasses. “Now, I have to be frank. I’m not too enthusiastic about setting my oldest son up into an.. _ unnatural  _ relationship. It’s always been a dream of mine to have grandchildren.”

Atsumu frowns at her, rolling his eyes. Fuck, he really doesn’t want this to get more tense than it already is. He’s being forced into this and he doesnt really understand why the fuck they’re arguing about it this far in. His stupid butthead  _ brother _ will have children. This isn’t about  _ offspring _ . This is about-

“I understand your concern,” King Hinata says softly across from her. “But I would like to start off by saying that, at least for us, this is about mutually helping our kingdoms and our people. It doesn’t necessarily mean they have to  _ wed,  _ it can be arranged so this turns into a mutual partnership. Marriage would just be more widely acknowledged by both of our kingdoms, yes?”

Atsumu’s mother opens her mouth with narrowed eyes, but Atsumu sits up and speaks before she can, hoping to cut her off at the source.

“Ma, ‘Samu is plannin’ to have kids. If that’s honestly your main issue-”

“Her main issue is that two men being wed isn’t what she wants,” Shoyo suddenly snaps across from him. Atsumu’s eyes widen at the sharpness and seriousness in his tone. “I’m sorry, but two men being together isn’t either of our biggest problems anymore. The only thing  _ unnatural  _ about this is your attitude towards it.”

Atsumu gawks at the prince. Where did that come from? It.. was very blatantly disrespectful, but  _ woah.  _ Why isn’t he more disgusted? Why does this guy suddenly look bigger to him, like someone he could get along with? 

“ _ Shoyo _ ,” King Hinata hisses. Atsumu blinks and shakes his head clear of those thoughts. Focus on what’s happening. “Why don’t you wait for us outside.” 

Atsumu watches as the prince’s face turns bright red, and he shoots up and bows immediately. Then he scurries off, small and quick as lightning, out a door different than the one they came through. Atsumu blinks at him. What a weird guy. 

“I think you should leave too, Atsumu,” his father says firmly, looking down at him with an unreadable face. Atsumu’s face twists. “You two aren’t crucial to this discussion.” 

_ Not crucial? Aren't WE the ones at stake?  _ His blood picks up with heat, maybe anger, but he forces himself to nod. He stands up on robotic legs and bows as well, working his kindest smile on his face even though it’s quite the opposite of how he feels. 

He clenches his fist tight before letting it go, forcing his body to relax and calm down. This is fine. Their parents know what they’re doing, he probably  _ doesn’t  _ need to be there. He takes a deep breath as he walks out the same door the prince did. 

It turns out he doesn’t have to walk far to run into the guy. He’s pacing up and down the corridor, columns on the right open to the warm air of a small courtyard. When he turns back towards Atsumu he freezes, his face that previously had frustration covering it now a little shocked. 

“Hey,” Atsumu smiles, as brightly as he can. The prince’s face looks confused. 

“W-which one are you again?” 

It’s completely genuine, and this time Atsumu  _ does  _ laugh. What is this guy, 5? Does he not remember anything? 

“Don’t make fun of me!” The prince squeaks, straightening up with his fists clenched at his sides. His cheeks are puffed out in childish defense and Atsumu laughs harder. 

“Sorry shorty,” Atsumu says, laugh dying out. He smirks as confidently as he can and looks at the guy from under his lashes. 

He stretches his arm out and brings the other to his chest, one leg behind the other, and bows as low and royally as he can. He keeps their gazes locked. 

“I’m your future husband,  _ your highness _ ,” he says with a wink that always melts the girls back home. 

The prince just blinks. His nose is scrunched up, big almond brown eyes darting up and down Atsumu’s form as if he can’t figure him out. He looks confused and maybe a bit put off. Atsumu furrows his brow and straightens out as the prince huffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest. 

“Let’s start off with this,” the prince says. “If you ever call me short again, I’ll beat your nose off your face.” 

Atsumu blinks. 

“For the record, I’m 5’4. Not all of us can be dumb looking giants. Never bow to me again either, though I get the feeling it was sarcastic.” 

Atsumu feels a smirk cross his lips and he raises a brow. He sure is spicy. Brown eyes hold his as they stand there, defense against humor. Atsumu opens his mouth but suddenly the prince is speaking before he can. 

“So which one are you, osapu?” 

Atsumu chuckles, smiling down at him, “ _ Atsumu _ . My brother is Osamu.” 

“AAAAGGH,” the prince suddenly groans, throwing his arms in his hair and tilting back in exasperation. “That’s so CONFUSING!!” 

Atsumu gapes at him. “Ah, have you like, never seen twins before?”

Shoyo pouts at him like a child, lip stuck out, fists clenched, shoulders up. Atsumu just looks at him. 

“Maybe not.” 

Atsumu blinks. This kid is so weird. What’s with this childish honesty? He swallows, brow furrowing. “Well,  _ I _ have blonde hair, if that helps.”

The prince looks up at his hair, “only the top is blonde. You both have dark undercuts.” 

Atsumu shrugs. He’s not honestly sure what else he could do to help him figure it out. Though, he supposes if they- _ when _ they get married, he’ll be able to recognize him since Osamu won’t be around. 

“I’m Shoyo. Hinata Shoyo,” Shoyo declares, suddenly pushing out his chest like an overexcited puppy. 

Atsumu raises his brow again. “I know-“ 

“How tall are you,” Shoyo looks him up and down judgmentally, ignoring Atsumu’s last sentence. 

“Ah… 5’11? Ish?” 

Shoyo crosses his arms again, suddenly smirking and looking up to meet Atsumu’s gaze. His eyes look a little lighter brown, somehow. His eyes are strong, pinning Atsumu in place, and it’s a very weird, uneasy feeling. He’s not so sure if he likes it or not. 

“That’s good then,” Shoyo says, his smirk turning into a huge, bright smile. “I like tall guys.” 

Atsumu’s breath catches in his throat. What? 

Wait,  _ what?  _

But of course, before anything else can happen, the door between them opens, and King Hinata and the rest of their families pile out of it. Atsumu blinks and mentally slaps himself and focuses on the exhausted face of his mother, and Osamu. His father looks as neutral as always. 

“Oh, you’re both here,” King Hinata says pleasantly, smile bright and almost identical to his son’s. “Hitting it off I hope?” 

Atsumu frowns. Were they hitting it off? It felt sort of like Shoyo was just interviewing him. Like a really weird, childish interview. Whatever, he forces a smile on his face and tilts his head like the kindest man ever. 

“We were, your highness,” he says, ignoring his brother’s raised brow and Shoyo and his mother’s widening eyes. “Anything new we should be aware of?” 

Atsumu’s mother sighs, “your father and Osamu will be heading back to Inarizaki in the morning. Kita and I will stay, and the ceremony will be held in two months' time.” 

“Ceremony as in…” Shoyo asks, head tilting in question. 

“What the ceremony is for depends on what relationship the two of you form together,” Queen Hinata says. 

Atsumu doesn’t miss his mother’s eye roll but pretends he does. His gut twists. He’s in this for his whole life, romantic or not. He might… he might never get to leave this castle, actually, right? If he moves in right now….fuck, that sort of sucks. 

Silence is heavy over the group, and Atsumu wants to blink away the steadily increasing dread in his gut but it’s getting harder. It’s difficult enough to keep a smile on his face and pleasant posture. Thankfully though, Queen Hinata’s seemingly impenetrable kind and sweet attitude breaks the low. 

“Come now, you all have had a big day. Let’s get you settled in for the night. We’ll have dinner and you can get some rest.”


	2. The Sun’s guard

She calls for Daichi, and he leads Atsumu and his family around a corner, and then down a few halls. They’re all painted light gold, decorated brightly in a way that matches the banquet hall. So, what, is like half this place normal, and the other half old? 

“You should’ve seen mom’s face in there,” Osamu nudges him. Atsumu frowns at him. 

“Interesting that  _ you  _ did, and I was kicked out.” 

Osamu rolls his eyes, “don’t be infantile, Sumu.” 

“I’m not being a damn infant,” Atsumu pouts. “You don’t get how unfair this all is. I don’t  _ get  _ to fall in love with anyone now, thanks to you being selfish.” 

Osamu just raises a brow at him, a small glance all he spares. “You love Nemuri. You told me you were happy for us.” 

“That’s not the  _ point,”  _ Atsumu sticks out his tongue. 

Kita comes up behind them, putting one hand on both of their shoulders. “Boys.” 

“Sorry,” Atsumu pouts to the side. It’s silent the rest of the walk. It’s a small castle compared to theirs, but it definitely has some room in it. Some potential. 

Daichi stops in front of one set of double doors, still painted bright yellow and gold and bronze. “King and Queen Miya, this is your suite if you’d like.” 

Atsumu’s mother huffs and storms through the doors immediately, followed by his father after a short apologetic bow. Daichi doesn’t seem fazed at all, simply turning to the twins and smiling pleasantly. 

“The two rooms here are for you, your highnesses. You’re free to choose.” 

Atsumu takes a breath, ready for a fight, ready to choose, but Kita steps in before he can. Damn bastard guard. Why do they keep him around again? Atsumu and Osamu are adults. 

“Atsumu, you take that one. No arguing,” Kita says firmly. Atsumu turns and tries to glare at him but as always, his stupid brown eyes stay unbothered. 

He huffs and storms through the farthest door. He hears Daichi say something about one of the servants moving his luggage in right away, but shuts the door anyways in sheer spite. He wanted the closer one. They’re most likely the same but  _ still.  _

He sits on the bed. The sheets are a deep, bright red, and soft. He tilts his head and decides he likes it. The day has been sort of shit, but at least this is a nice bed. 

The door speaks open and a man that looks eerily like Daichi bows his way in. Atsumu stands and smiles. “Hello-“

“Excuse me, your highness, just bringing in your luggage,” the man says, head still low. 

“Oh-“

Before Astumu can let him off easy he’s ducking back out and coming in again with arms full. Atsumu rushes to help but the man is lowering the trunks down before he can. 

Atsumu laughs, “you don’t need to be so formal. In our kingdom we really only have Kita and a few others-“ 

“O-of course sir. Thank you.” 

Atsumu chuckles as the man bows again. He runs his hands through his hair. It feels a bit more wavy than usual. “What’s your name?” 

The man stays in a bow. “Ennoshita sir.” 

“Well Ennoshita,” Atsumu smiles. “Thank you. I can handle the rest, promise.” 

Ennoshita goes bright red, bows again, mumbles some sort of apology, and then darts out the door. Atsumu sighs, closing the door behind him and then leaning against it. He looks around the room. It’s nice. Not as big as his back home, but it’s well kept and brightly lit. He stares at the pile of luggage to his left. If he’s honest, he just wants to nap. The thought of dinner with that weird small prince and his fuming mother gives him a headache. He honestly didn't expect it to be this damn tense. Why can’t they all just get along?

\---------------

The dining hall is just as bright and pretty and gold as everything else. 

Atsumu and his brother sit on either side of his mother, this time. She sits tall and firm, and his father sits on his other side, quiet and clearly exhausted. Atsumu isn't sure what kind of things she must have been saying to him before dinner. 

Prince Shoyo is directly across from Osamu. He’s wearing deep red robes with gold trimming, sort of like the colors in Atsumu’s room. His hair looks soft and styled, and if Atsumu looks close enough it even looks like he’s wearing makeup on his big brown eyes. He keeps looking at Osamu though. Atsumu is pretty sure he got confused again. Not the smartest kid. 

The talk is mostly casual, but there’s obviously something big hanging over the room. Atsumu silently prays that it’ll stay casual. His headache is still present and if his mother makes another scene in just the first DAY he might lose it. 

“Atsumu,” King Hinata’s voice snaps him back to the present. “What sort of hobbies do you have?”

Atsumu works a pleasant smile on his face. That’s a good, nice conversation topic. “I enjoy sparring quite a bit, but I also like getting involved in politics most of the time. Running the kingdom and all that, but it’s mostly just sitting in on council meetings.”

He blinks around and sees Shoyo’s big eyes locked to him. He smiles and Shoyo just blinks. 

“Shoyo likes sparring too,” Queen Hinata says softly. “He used to tell us he wanted to be a knight when he grew up.” 

“Now I’m the one who  _ does  _ the knighting,” Shoyo suddenly chirps, like he’s so proud he can hardly stand it. 

Atsumu can’t help but smile a little. His eyes are bright and wide, he has the biggest smile Atsumu’s pretty sure he's ever seen. The guy sure reminds him a lot of a child, sometimes. 

The rest of the dinner actually goes pretty well. Atsumu talks on behalf of basically his whole family. Samu is too bored to interject, his mother is too angry, and his father is too exhausted. So Atsumu keeps face, and talks and smiles, and charms the  _ fuck  _ out of the Hinata family. It’s what he’s good at. 

Eventually though, it comes to an end, and King Hinata motions for them all to stand. Atsumu won’t lie and say he isn’t honestly a bit relieved, but he also won’t lie and say he didn’t love all the attention on him. Regardless, he stands, and so does his family, and they move out into the open space off the dining room. 

“Well Atsumu,” King Hinata turns to him. “It was certainly a pleasure getting to know you better this evening. I’m looking forward to doing it more in the near future.” 

Atsumu smiles his nicest smile, eyes lightly closed, and bows his head as he grasps the man’s hand. “The pleasure is mine, your highness.” 

When he stands, his eyes catch prince Shoyo’s. He’s staring at Atsumu like he can’t figure him out, eyes wide and somehow equally as vacant as they are bright. It’s interesting, captivating, and Shoyo holds him there like that for probably far too long. 

It’s like… it’s like there are five different shades of brown in the prince's eyes, just then. Dark in the middle, lightening the further out you get. His lashes are darker than Atsumu thought they’d be, and yeah, he’s definitely wearing makeup. There's black lining his lashes, and there are gold flecks around the outside and in the corners. 

What in the world is he staring at Atsumu like this for?

Shoyo looks away when his mother puts a hand on his shoulder, and with the break in eye contact they both snap back into their skins. Atsumu bows to Shoyo and the queen, and glares impatiently at Samu until he does the same so they can finally dispurse for bed. 

Atsumu sighs as his mother and father start following another guard or servant down the hall to their rooms. He spares one last glance to Shoyo, who’s already turned to walk to his own hall, before sighing and following his brother. 

He walks up beside him, yawning and stretching his arms above his head. Osamu doesn't do anything, simply looking forward with a bored face. Atsumu pouts at him and hunches his body obnoxiously. 

“You could’ve helped me out in there, you know,” he gumbles. Osamu doesnt even spare him a glance. 

“I don't need to be here. Why would I talk to people you already had on a leash?”

Atsumu perks up at that, straightening his back and smiling proudly, “I did, didn't I.”

Osamu rolls his eyes, “you're a prick.” 

“You said it first!” Atsumu gapes, mock offense on his face. “Ass.”

“Quit picking fights, Tsumu. Dad and I have to make the trip back tomorrow and I literally have no energy to deal with your bullshit.” 

“Fine.” Atsumu speeds up, storming angrily past his twin and past his parents, into the familiar looking hall and slams his bedroom door closed. 

He knows he's being dramatic as he throws himself face first onto the bed. He knows he’s being childish as he curses into the red fabric, as he slams his fists and legs into the mattress, curses his stupid brother, his stupid, homophobic mother, his stupid future partner Shoyo…

Damn it. He’s tired. 

Atsumu sighs, picking up his head and looking around. Everything is put away, folded and organized. That supid servant boy must have come in to do it while they were all at dinner. Well, whatever. Means all he needs to do is change before he can sleep. 

So he stands, his headache suddenly making a reappearance. He ruffles through the folded clothes until he finds his silk sleep shirt and shorts. It’s hot down here, not like at home. It’s  _ humid.  _

“Ugh,” Atsumu groans, flopping onto the bed again, pouting as he wiggles his way up to the pillows. What a fucking day. He can’t wait to pass the  _ hell _ out. 

  
  
  
  
  


He can’t sleep. 

Atsumu isn’t honestly sure how long it’s been, but he’s been staring blankly at the ceiling above the bed for a solid part of it. It’s not that he’s too hot. It’s just that he has this  _ itch  _ under his skin. He’s turned this way and that, thrashed around to relieve energy, even counted goddamn SHEEP like a TODDLER. 

But nothing's working. Maybe it’s the new bed, the long travel, the weird day; but he can’t even stand to keep his  _ eyes  _ closed for that long.

And also, he can’t get that  _ damn Prince’s face _ out of his head. 

Every time he lets his head go blank, that weird eye contact they had right before bed pops into his mind. What the hell was that?? Atsumu isn’t sure he’s had anyone look at him so intensely in his whole life. Did he wanna fight or something? Or talk? What the hell  _ was _ that? 

Atsumu throws his arms out to the side again, scowling at the white above him. What is he gonna do. He can’t sleep, he’s restless as all fuck, and there’s no way he’s gonna sleep if something doesn’t change. 

Then, an idea hits him like a brick. He can go exploring! Maybe if he walks around the halls of this new place, if he gets a better feel for where he is (and where he’s gonna  _ stay,  _ ugh _ )  _ he’ll feel more at ease and be able to sleep. That’ll get the tension out of his limbs too. 

So he does. Flings the door open, basking in the night air of the hallway, quiet, dark, and blissfully  _ empty.  _

Fuck he feels better already. He isn’t sure how late it is but he doesn’t bother tip toeing when he passes his parents’ suite. He all but sprints across the wonderfully cold tiles, but wonders how they manage to be cold when it’s still warm. 

He finds himself wandering all the way to the one open hallway with the open air pillars. He's  _ pretty  _ sure it's the one from earlier, the one Shoyo and he talked in. Where he'd said that weird thing about liking tall people. 

Guys, he means. Tall  _ guys.  _

Atsumu stares out at the moonlit courtyard, tall trees and bushes darker with the night sky. It’s really fuckin nice out at night. Atsumu sort of wishes he could sleep out here. 

Okay, so… should he look into that? Was he just talking about guys as in  _ people _ , or  _ guys,  _ like he’s  _ into guys.  _

Atsumu shakes his head and keeps walking. Who the hell knows. They just met, it’s not safe to assume anything yet. He literally knows  _ nothing  _ about the damn prince. Except that, apparently, he likes tall guys. 

After passing that open hallway and wandering a bit, Atsumu is honestly sort of lost. He doesn’t remember which ways he came or where the damn courtyard even is now. He just passed a few extremely large doors, for which he assumes are big, grand rooms like the ones they were in earlier. This castle is like a damn maze. 

Honestly, he’s still feeling better, breathing in night air and walking barefoot, but it’s getting sort of stressful. The hell is he gonna get back if everyone’s asleep? He’s pretty sure waking up any of the royal family in the middle of the night because he was “exploring” isn’t a very good idea. 

And then he turns another corner and stops dead. It’s the old grey brick again on one side, and normal on the other. He’s not exactly sure how he went this far in what feels like such little time. 

But honestly, that’s not what stops him. 

There’s a guy in the middle of this hall. He shoots up when Atsumu comes around, standing up and straight and formal. Atsumu blinks at him, and suddenly it hits him. He recognizes this guy, he’s the servant who was glaring at him earlier today, when they arrived. 

“Hey! You’re the scowler,” Atsumu says as the servant recognizes him and tries to turn and walk away. 

He freezes and Atsumu straightens his shoulders as he walks closer. What’s this guy doing up? He turns back around and yeah, he’s the same guy. Same scowl, same boring black hair. He’s pretty tall actually, almost as tall as Atsumu. 

“I don’t scowl,” the servant says, scowling. His eyes shoot wide and to the floor. “S-sir.” 

Atsumu laughs, and the kid looks up at him again. “You do, and you clearly dislike me.” 

“My apologies? S-sir.” His eyes darting to the floor again, and he might be blushing a little but Atsumu honestly can’t tell in the darkness. 

Of course he doesn’t stand up for himself. Typical servant boy. Sometimes Atsumu wishes they’d fight back. This guy seemed like he would’ve.

“Goody two shoes, I see,” Astumu smirks, tilting his chin up. The servant flinches. “What’s your name.” 

“Kageyama sir. Tobio K-kageyama.” 

“Tobio,” Atsumu raises a brow cockily. He feels powerful. “Well  _ Tobio _ . I don’t know why you hate me, but you’ll see I’m very kind and will be a very helpful influence to this kingdom.” 

Kageyama blinks at him. “Y-yes sir. Of course.” 

He’s not scowling anymore. It sort of looks like Atsumu slapped him in the face, actually. They stand there, silently, and it’s tense but Atsumu’s pretty sure it’s cause he correctly intimidated the idiot. 

“So Tobio, are you-“

“ _ Woah _ !” 

Atsumu whips around immediately, the voice behind him unmistakable.

“Hinata!” 

“Shoyo?” 

The prince just stands there gaping, his big brown eyes wide and hair all over the place. He’s in silk too, but it’s more like a robe that’s just a little big on him. It’s red and gold, again. 

“Osa-“

“ _ Atsumu _ !” Atsumu interrupts him. It’s not that hard of a name to remember. Seriously. 

“Atsumu,” Shoyo nods, walking closer, face twisted in confusion and shock. “S-sorry. What’s-“

“Tobio and I were just getting acquainted. I went on a little night walk, nothing to worry about.” 

Shoyo looks up to him quickly before darting back to Kageyama. His eyes are still wide and he’s looking sort of disgusted as well as confused, now. 

“You… call him Shoyo?” 

Kageyama’s voice shocks him, and Atsumu turns to meet his eyes. They might be blue. He looks blank and maybe a bit hurt for some reason. Atsumu scrunches his nose and raises his brow. The hell kind of question… 

“You  _ don’t _ ? It’s his name,” Atsumu sneers at him. 

Kageyama looks at Shoyo and the air is suddenly filled with… anger? Maybe? He’s not sure but it’s really tense, and Kageyama looks like he wants to sock the prince in the face. They’re all three standing in a triangle, Shoyo and Kageyama facing each other dead on. Atsumu sort of feels left out with how intense they’re glaring at each other. Is Shoyo puffing out his cheeks? 

“Shoyo what.. do you guys know each other well or something,” Atsumu furrows his brow, resisting the urge to fiddle with his fingers. 

The prince’s brown eye flinches and then he’s huffing pettily. He doesn’t break eye contact. “Kageyama’s my personal guard. Even though he’s  _ stupid _ .” 

Atsumu almost laughs again at the childish way he spat the insult, but the mood does not seem to call for humor. Endlessly entertaining, this kid. 

Guard huh? Kageyama does  _ not  _ seem like the guard type. Maybe they were childhood friends or something? Wait… 

“Why are  _ you _ up Shoyo?” 

That seems to get his attention, bringing those huge eyes up to him. He looks shocked to have been asked, but it’s not that shocking of a question. Was he sneaking around? If so Atsumu is so down to sneak. Stress relief sounds  _ great  _ right now. Damn why is it so tense between them all? 

“I was, ah,” Shoyo blinks quickly, looking down at Atsumu’s chest and then back up. “I had to pee.” 

“Pee? Don’t you have a bathroom in your-“

“It’s broken.  _ K-Kageyama  _ here is supposed to be fixing it,  _ aren’t you _ ,” Shoyo snaps, shooting back to Kageyama with a weird amount of death in his eyes. 

Kageyama blinks wide once, and then narrows his eyes, shoulders drawing up. “That’s not  _ my  _ job, dumbass!” 

Atsumu’s eyes widen. Dumbass!!! Did he just call the prince a  _ dumbass?  _ In  _ front  _ of Atsumu? Man this is some weird shit. Just how comfortable is this guy with his boss? Is it like… like how Kita is with Astumu and his brother? That doesn’t make sense though, Kageyama is young. He can’t be any older than either of them. 

“I was going down the hall to a bathroom that  _ works.”  _ Shoyo spits again. Why is he so mad? Are they like… fighting or something. 

Ah. This is making him tired again. 

“Gotcha,” Atsumu says as kindly as he can, though it gets no response from either of them, still standing off and glaring holes at each other. “Welp… I think I’m gonna head back to bed now, as fun as this is.” 

The prince suddenly turns to him, and just as quick as the anger on his face came, it leaves. “Oh!! Do you.. know your way back?” 

Atsumu smiles kindly, waving his hand no, “I’ll figure it out. I’m a big boy.” 

“N-no! No worries, I’ll walk with you,” Shoyo says quickly, suddenly standing straighter and turning to face him. He takes a step closer. 

He throws a look back at Kageyama, who’s watching them with a slightly open, disbelieving face. “We can  _ talk _ more, this way.” 

It’s more of a… an evil purr than anything else, but before he can really argue there’s a small hand hooking around his elbow and pulling him away. Atsumu looks back when he can, smirking at the shocked look on Kageyama’s face. 

“Good night, Tobio!” 

Shoyo drags him sharply around a corner and Atsumu chuckles, gently taking his arm back and slowing down so that the redhead does too. They walk in silence for a second, down a full corridor and when Shoyo starts to turn again Atsumu frowns a bit. He’s small, this prince, you wouldn’t think he’s as  _ fast  _ as he is but he’s walking in front of Atsumu and it’s taking quite a bit of focus to keep up with him. It’s almost like he’s just.. trying to get to Atsumu’s suite. 

Like he didn’t want to talk to him, after all. Maybe it was just a front to get away from his guard. 

That must be it, too, cause they’re there in no time. Before Atsumu can even think of anything to say, he recognizes the hall, and his cracked gold trimmed door. 

Shoyo sighs, freezes in his tracks, and Atsumu frowns again behind him. It sounded sad. That was a sad sigh. 

“I’m sorry,” Shoyo says, deathly quiet and real. “I didn’t mean to be quick. My head is just loud right now… like gah, and stuff.” 

Atsumu blinks widely at the back of his fluffy orange head. ‘Gah?’ Is he two years old? What does that mean, his head is loud? It’s like this guy has absolutely no filter whatsoever. He hasn’t had one all day, actually-

Everything stops. Shoyo turns around sharply and leans up on his tip toes and kisses Atsumu’s cheek. Or.. jaw, it ends up more on his jaw but  _ what-  _

“G-goodnight, Atsumu,” Shoyo whispers, eyes covered by his bangs, and then he’s gone. 

Atsumu stands there, stunned, eyes wide open and frozen on the end of the hallway. His cheek is tingling from where Shoyo kissed him. 

_ Kissed him.  _

How the hell is he gonna sleep  _ now _ ? 

  
  
  



	3. Sparring the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You never know where compatibility will come from

  
  


He’s woken up rather abruptly. 

There was knocking on his door, his mother angrily demanding he say goodbye to his brother and father. He wishes he wasn’t, he’s honestly exhausted from the  _ weird  _ night and all that happens is that Osamu fakes gagging when Atsumu begs him to bring their mother back with him. 

And after that, he’s dragged to a council meeting. They give him an  _ apple  _ for breakfast, cause they can’t spare any time with how quickly this needs to happen. 

It’s incredibly boring and draining. They talk about exchanging resources as well as combining their fortunes, and Atsumu tries multiple times to bring up which kingdom they’ll work from but it was brushed off. Prince Hinata isn't there, but Atsumu’s mother is. It probably would’ve been less boring, if the prince had been there.

But as it is, Atsumu only gets a note. He’s not sure where Shoyo is exactly, but after the meeting, the guard he met last night comes up to him and gives him a folded piece of paper, saying it's from hinata. He rubs his sore eyes as he opens it, 

_ Atsumu, _

_ I finally got your name right! I hope...though you didn't really say much last night. If it's wrong I apologize. Being a twin must be weird, huh? _

Atsumu blinks, brows drawing together tightly. Is this kid still going on about that? He supposes it  _ has  _ only been a day but… 

_ I wanted to apologize in person but I tend to sleep through council meetings. If you want, you can come spar with me and a couple other Knights in the main courtyard! They mostly just humor me but _

_ Anyways. I'll be here most of the afternoon, so I hope to see you at some point.  _

_ Shoyo. _

Atsumu stares at the last word for a second. The Prince’s name, in this curvy, clearly rushed handwriting. It seems fitting for him, how he writes, but it's still fascinating for some reason. 

Afternoon huh? Is it the afternoon yet, even? 

And then he spots his mother down the hall, and runs up to her. “Mother! What time is it, do you know?”

She glances back at him but keeps moving around the corner. “Just after 1 pm. I'm going to nap. I suggest you do the same.” 

Astsumu nods solemnly. He doesn't know why she’s being so…  _ stiff _ about this whole thing. It was sort of her idea.. and it needs to happen. It’s necessary if they want to stay in power. 

She sighs then, and stops walking. She pulls Atsumu close and kisses his forehead, carding through his hair. “I’m sorry darling,” she says, voice normal and soft like it is at home. “I’m just.. struggling with this.”

Atsumu frowns down at her, her big brown eyes sad and sincere. “ _ I’m _ struggling with it! You’re-”

“I know Tsum! I know,” she rushes, sighing again. “I just always wanted you to fall in love with a nice princess and settle down in our kingdom, take over when your father and I are gone. I don’t like pretty much /any/ part of this. It feels like I’m..”

“Selling me off?” Atsumu snaps before he can help it. 

And he expects a scowl and a light slap to the head, but all his mother does is smile like she’s hurting. “Yeah, a little. That's all.”

Atsumu scowls off to the side. At least she’s self aware. 

“Could you at least quit with the anti marriage stuff? It doesn't help me, or any of this. You’ll scare them away,” he mutters as she takes her hand back from his hair. 

“I just want you to fall in love baby.”

He frowns, “this won't  _ prevent  _ me from falling in love.”

It’s silent for a beat or two. He can’t look her in the face, can’t tell her that he’s saying this because he’s worried one day he  _ will  _ want to marry a man. That he’s worried that she won’t ever be able to feel anything but hatred for the concept. 

“I’ll tone it down a little,” she says heavily. “Write to your brother. It’s important to keep in touch with him-”

“I will,” he snaps. “I’ll do that.”

She narrows her eyes, cause she knows he’s lying, but ruffles his hair before turning sharply and continuing down the hallway. Her long dress and dark brown hair flow elegantly behind her as it always does. 

He watches her walk away, feeling a bit lighter, and then suddenly is hit with the realization that he can go spar now. With the prince. And some of their knights. 

Fuck.. where’s the main courtyard? Atsumu pulls out the note and double checks, and yeah, that’s where he is. Where the hell is that?

He looks around desperately. What is with this castle and the crazy lack of people? 

Atsumu ends up walking around with the note clutched in his fist, searching desperately for either an open space, or someone who can show him where to go. He finds neither until the fourth hallway, where he turns and finds tall pillars open to the humid air. He hears clinks of wood, and laughing, and shouting, and his heart leaps. 

He scoots past the closest pillar into the open space, palm trees and green grass and flowers It’s gorgeous, but Atsumu turns instead to search the dozens of people for the one he’s here for. 

Of course, he’s easy to find. He's shorter than everyone, skinnier, and his hair is honestly so bright Atsumu is pretty sure he’d be able to find him in a cornfield. In a crowded ballroom. In a fucking hurricane. 

The knight Shoyo was sparing with puts his wooden pole down to his side, watching Atsumu as he slowly makes his way over. He has shaggy brown hair and freckles, and he’s skinny too. Is he a full on knight? He doesn’t look like it. 

“YAMA! DON’T UNDERESTIMATE ME-”

“Prince Shoyo,” Atsumu says as pleasantly as he can, delighting in the quick snap of the prince’s head as soon as he speaks. 

His eyes are big, his cheeks are flushed with effort. He’s wearing a loose, dirt spotted t-shirt with short sleeves and equally loose brown shorts. It’s a simple outfit, so simple Atsumu wouldn’t be surprised to see a commoner in it, but Shoyo looks regal in it. Somehow. 

“O-oh! Prince At-”

“Just Atsumu,” he cuts the kid off, even though it gets him a frustrated face. “Give me a pole.”

Immediately there’s one in his hand, long and sturdy. It makes him smile, he knows his eyes are big with excitement, but it’s just cause it’s been a while. Osamu never steps up anymore, so he never has time for this. He goes to meetings, and makes appearances, and writes and reads. It might have been 5 years since the last time he hit something. 

“Yamaguchi,” Shoyo says to the brunette. A kind signal to get the fuck out of the way. He must be able to sense Atsumu’s excitement. 

When they face each other, Atsumu feels heat course through his blood at the sheer, childlike glee in Shoyo’s brown eyes. He really wasn’t lying about loving this. 

“You gonna fight in that outfit?” Shoyo’s brown eyes shoot down to his dress shirt. “Doesn’t seem very fair. I’m super strong, you know.”

Atsumu raises a brow. Strong? Atsumu could snap his forearm in half, and he says he's  _ strong? _

He does make a fair point, though, about his clothes. Cabinet meeting attire isn’t exactly ideal for fighting. So he reaches over his head with his free hand, and tugs the shirt over his head, leaving him bare. 

And Shoyo’s eyes go wide, locked on his torso. Atsumu hears a tear in the fabric as he pulls it fully off his body, but it’s no matter. He has many shirts, almost identical to it. He flings it off to the side and he can feel the whole courtyard looking at him and he  _ basks  _ in it. 

He works hard to keep himself fit. He thinks that it’s important for diplomats to be attractive if they want to be successful. His mother told him that once, when he got lazy keeping up on bleaching his hair. When it would tint yellow and he wouldn’t bother to fix it. Now he keeps it pale, shaggy and wavy. 

Atsumu grins, smirks, whatever you call it, as he couches down and brings both hands to the base of the makeshift sword. As he does, Shoyo seems to focus again, his eyes rising back up to his from where they'd been locked on his torso. 

“Bring it on, shorty.”

Shoyo swings first. The first clack of the wood rings in his ears and makes his heart pound in an exciting way he thought he forgot about. There’s this mad grin on the prince’s face, his eyes bright and almost manic as the two of them collide and collide again, pushing and slamming and dancing around eachother. 

Atsumu’s heart is racing now. Prince Shoyo is good, and even if Atsumu pretends that he’s only good because it’s been so long, he knows that’s not true. Shoyo isn’t necessarily as  _ strong  _ as he is wickedly  _ quick.  _ It’s like Atsumu is barely able to see where he’s going to hit, where he’s going to dart next. It's as entrancing as the rest of him.

They dance around for a while, what must be at least five minutes, when suddenly things shift into slow motion. 

Atsumu just barely follows as Shoyo suddenly dips, crouches, and darts under his arm and around him. He just barely catches the swipe of orange hair, just barely manages to turn and catch Shoyo’s pole in the air with his, stopping the attempt to catch against the opposite side of his neck from behind. 

They both freeze, then, and the world seems to stop with them. He watches with his heart in his throat as Shoyo’s mouth drops, and his eyes shoot  _ wide _ . 

“Nice try,” Atsumu pants, working a smirk on his face. 

Shoyo blinks up at him, that look of complete bewilderment back on his face. “Thanks?”

It’s more of a squeak than anything else, and it seems they’re done, cause neither of them are attacking now. Astumu’s arms are held in the air, handle upside down high in the air to tilt the pole at the angle he needed, and it’s starting to hurt holding his arms at the weird angle. 

Slowly, he starts lowering his pole, and Shoyo follows. Their eyes are locked, brown boring into brown, and it’s like the damn prince is hypnotizing him until he fully turns to meet him. Atsumu swallows, something heavy knotting up his throat, and clears his throat before working a soft easy smile back onto his face. 

“You done now or something? I get it, im impossible to beat, and you do look pretty shocked-”

Clarity comes back into those big brown eyes, and immediately Shoyo puffs out his cheeks and gets into position with an offended expression. 

“You  _ wish.”  _

\----------

Atsumu isnt entirely sure how long they spend out there, clinking wood and flashing smirks, the humidity and bright sun beating down on them. It could’ve been hours. By the time they’ve collapsed onto the dirt all of the other knights who were out around them have gone. 

“Haaaah,” Astumu sighs, eyes squeezed shut against the sun above him, arms stretched out, pole discarded. “It’s been so long since I’ve done that. 

“No way!” Shoyo scoffs next to him, an arm flug over his eyes. “You're really good you know! There’s no way you dont do that all the time. Plus your stamina is great-”

“I know,” Atsumu smirks, pride bubbling in his heart. “What can I say. Im just that talented.”

Shoyo turns to him, and his face is drawn up, his cheeks are red and he’s sweating. “Yeah. You are.”

And Atsumu doesnt really know what to say to that. Usually someone wouldve punched him, or scoffed, or laughed. He doesn’t think anyone’s ever reacted to a cocky jab like that before…

Whatever though. It’s nice. He smiles, and nods, and looks back up at the sky. His stomach rumbles. 

“Fuck I’m starving.. All i’ve gotten to eat today was an apple-” 

“ME TOO!” The prince suddenly shoots up, and it’s startling. How does he still have the  _ energy  _ to move that fast?

It’s kind of amazing, honestly…

“I want pancakes,” Shoyo declares, face stern. He stands up, and Atsumu blocks the sun with the back of his hand to watch. Pancakes sound good. 

Shoyo stretches his hand down to him, “Come on.”

Atsumu raises a brow, hesitantly placing his hand in the princes and tugging himself up. His hand is small, and rough, probably callused from all the training. As soon as he’s on his feet Shoyo is darting around and scurrying off back into the hallway. 

“I said come on!” 

Okay then. Where exactly does he expect to get pancakes in the middle of the afternoon. 

“Where are we going,” he chuckles, trying to catch up with the darting orange blur of a prince. 

“Kitchen. For pancakes.”

Atsumu raises a brow. “You just walk into your staff’s kitchen?”

Shoyo’s small stature shrugs. “It’s technically  _ my  _ kitchen.”

Atsumu supposes that’s true… but he’s never thought about it like that. At Inarizaki he and his family always stayed in their space, let their staff work in theirs. He always just thought it was common courtesy. 

But it’s different here. As soon as they walk past the double doors into the kitchen there’s a cascade of greetings. Everyone turns to Shoyo with excited eyes and bright smiles, and suddenly Atsumu realizes. This happens all the time. There isn't separation between staff and royals like there is back at home, in this place. 

When people turn to him though, shocked and confused, he feels terribly out of place. So he bows. He normally never would, he’s pretty sure he’s never bowed to staff in his life, but he feels obligated to here. Shoyo isn’t a guest here. He treats the staff like his own friends, his own family. So Atsumu bows. 

Shoyo smacks a hand down on his bent shoulder. “We want pancakes!”

One of the bigger ladies shifts and puts her hand on her hip as Atsumu straightens out again. She has big green eyes, and her blond hair is pulled into a high bun in her hair net. She glances between him and Shoyo quickly, eyes narrowing. 

“I’m glad to see the two of you bonding,” she says. 

“We just want pancakes Kamuri!” Shoyo squeaks, a big pout on his face. Sort of adorable. 

Ah… he means…

Whatever. It was adorable. It’s just a fact. Doesn’t mean anything, nope. Anyone would agree. 

“Please? With berries? We’re hungry and it’s  _ your job to feed me!” _

Atsumu brings a hand to his mouth and looks away to stop himself from laughing at the absolute  _ rage  _ on the cook’s face. She points off to a door to their right, glaring death into Shoyo. 

“THANK YOUUU,” Shoyo jumps in the air, beaming, and quickly grabs Atsumu’s elbow and sprints towards the door and through it. 

And god  _ damn  _ the kid is so fast. It’s like trying to keep up with a bolt of lightning. 

He manages though. Barely. The room off to the side looks like a break room for the staff, but one of the chairs is taller than the rest, and has nicer cushioning. Does Shoyo come in here a lot? Is that even okay? Would the king and queen be okay with it? Atsumu’s parents would beat him to a pulp if they knew he hung out with staff like this. 

And just like he suspected, Shoyo goes and slides into the special chair. He smiles at Atsumu, who’s still standing at the door in slight shock, and pulls out the chair next to him in a gesture. Atsumu takes a breath and moves to slide into it. 

“Do you come here a lot,” he wonders out loud. He feels  _ really  _ out of place, sitting in a staff chair, eating at a scuffed up wood table. 

“I get hungry a lot,” Shoyo says brightly. He leans on his hand and smiles innocently at Atsumu. “Meals don't keep me full, usually. I like to hang out with everyone here too.”

Atsumu raises a brow in disbelief, even though he’s smiling. “They don’t keep you full? You ate half of the damn table last night.” 

Shoyo puffs up. “Im a growing boy! I need sustenance.”

“Sure, sure,” Atsumu laughs. He sure is entertaining. 

“My  _ apologies _ , your highness.” 

Shoyo socks him on the arm, frowning harder, but Atsumu just laughs louder. 

He stops though, when Shoyo hunches over the table and starts picking at his nails. His face is drawn down in a frustrated, anxious way, and it turns Atsumu’s blood cold. 

“H-hey ah,” Shoyo mutters. “I wanted to explain about last night-“

“Here you go, you little brat.” 

Both of them snap to focus, turning to meet the cook who has two full plates of pancakes. Strawberries and blueberries decorate the top and even though Atsumu’s heart is sinking at the fact that the conversation had been cut off, he feels himself salivating. God it looks so  _ good.  _

“THANKS KAMURI!”

“T-thank you!” 

He bows to her as she sets the food in front of them, but she just giggles and ruffles his hair. He shoots up straight, eyes wide in shock. She just  _ ruffled  _ his hair. What kind of casual place  _ is  _ this?

“Prince Miya, you better reconsider getting hitched to this one. He’s the most high maintenance kid I’ve ever met,” she smiles at him. 

Honestly, he's so shocked he can’t properly find words. He just blinks at her and nods. 

She laughs, and then pats the top of Shoyo’s head and turns around to walk out. “Don’t eat off Miya’s plate, Shoyo!”

But Shoyo is already scarfing his food down by the time Atsumu turns to look. He barely takes the time to even cut the damn pancakes before theyre in his mouth. Atsumu watches in slight disgust before turning to his own plate and starting to eat. 

They’re  _ good.  _ He moans in delight, and Shoyo laughs next to him. 

“Right!” His mouth is full and internally Atsumu laughs. 

They’re quiet for a while, but Atsumu can't stop thinking about what Shoyo had started to say before the cook came in. Was he gonna apologize? Was he gonna acknowledge the fact that he kissed Atsumu’s cheek? 

And what the hell was that weird stuff with Kageyama? 

“Can I ask you something,” he says quietly. Shoyo hums, a big brown eye blinking over to him.

“Why doesn't Kageyama call you Shoyo?” 

Shoyo’s eyes widen, his cheeks still stuffed with food. He swallows and looks down with a furrowed brow. He looks frustrated, maybe. He’s quiet for a minute.

“It’s not his place,” he says firmly. Darkly. 

Atsumu pushes a lone strawberry around his plate. “I guess it's not really mine either...huh” 

“Maybe not, but I like it when you do it.” 

Atsumu’s whole body seems to pulse. 

Oh Jesus. This kid and his boldness. It’s gonna kill them both. 

“Its much more  _ your _ place than it is his,” Shoyo adds quietly.

“Well we… we’ve technically only known each other for like a day,” Atsumu says. Fuck his chest feels tight. 

Shoyo chuckles, and the sound rings through Atsumu’s skull like some sort of weird bell. “I guess you’re right!”

What the hell is happening. Is this flirting? Is Shoyo flirting or just being polite… Atsumu can’t tell. It’s making his chest and fingertips feel weird. He feels like he’s not even in his own fuckin body. 

He has to be joking right? It’s just another was this kingdom is different than his? Right? 

“What I was gonna say earlier is that I’m sorry for just like… kissing you like that,” Shoyo suddenly says. His plate is clean now, and he’s twirling the empty fork in his hands. 

Atsumu clenches his hand into a fist under the table, trying not to curl into a ball. 

“I usually don’t do stuff like that!! So..” 

Shoyo’s smiling, but Atsumu feels like his chest is gonna cave in. This seriously can’t be real. Does that mean he likes him? Does that mean he’s the same? That he’s okay with same sex-

“If you felt weird about it, just forget it happened okay?” Shoyo blinks at him, completely genuine, but there’s a hint of embarrassment on his face too. It makes Atsumu shake his head immediately. 

“I didn’t mind it. Just surprised me,” he says, forcing his voice to stay steady. 

Shoyo’s cheeks noticibly darken, then, and he blinks down at the table, and suddenly the tension between them is  _ palpable.  _

Everything in his body is screaming at him to close the distance and touch. He wonders what those lips would feel like on his own. Should he find out? Fuck, every hair on his arms is standing out. Magnets trying to drag them together. Is this normal? 

Maybe just… just a hand on that small thigh. That’s fine right? 

“W-we should go,” Shoyo suddenly says, face beat red, sitting up. “Dinner is soon.” 

Atsumu nods. It's not, probably, he bets they have a little over two hours, but it's better than being alone in a room with this kid. Getting ready for dinner sounds like a better plan than sitting in tense, thick strange silence. 

“Sure,” he mutters, oddly weak. They both stand and Atsumu suddenly hates that he’s still shirtless. 

They walk out of the kitchen completely silent. The cooks all pause, look at them, and they can clearly sense  _ something  _ because they all make faces at the prince. If they were listening in, Atsumu might have to move home immediately. 

When they get out, Atsumu fiddles with his fingers. It’s still hot out, but strutting around a castle shirtless, even as a royal, isn't appropriate. He hates it, he wants to figure out why the air is so strange between them, but he needs to go back and get his shirt. 

“Shoyo?” 

“H-hm?” 

Shoyo turns to him like he’s been waiting for it, his eyes are wide and his face is expectant. Atsumu doesn’t know what  _ for _ , though. 

“Ah, which way is the courtyard from earlier?” Shoyo’s face drops just a bit and Atsumu hates it. 

He gestures to his naked torso and smirks, trying to ease Shoyo back into a normal mood, “From sparring? I forgot my shirt.” 

Shoyo shakes his head, face falling into the normal easy joy it usually is, and points to the left. “Two rights that way.” 

“Thanks,” Atsusmu smiles as kindly as he can. 

“S-see you at dinner then!!” 

Shoyo squeaks, his face goes pink, and then he darts back down the hall they came from. Atsumu feels his heart stutter in his chest. That’s good right? 

Fuck, what if this could be good? They were flirting today right? And Shoyo was blushing just now? 

What if Shoyo likes him? Does…. does Atsumu like him too? 

When he gets to the courtyard, he sees his shirt thrown on the dirty ground and as he picks it up he smiles. His mind plays back that big, wide, excited look in Shoyo’s eyes and he smiles bigger. 

Yeah. Fuck. That’s a crush then. Two days in and he’s already crushing. 

————-

He tries not to panic too much while he gets dressed. 

But how can he not? He doesn’t let himself panic, like,  _ ever,  _ but woah. Who is he right now? Getting a crush on a little prince he’s supposed to joint run kingdoms with, only two days into meeting each other? He doesn’t date  _ ever,  _ because he likes to keep his distance, because getting politics involved with relations is stupid and always blows up in your face. 

Is it terror that’s making him feel like this? What’s that thing called…. ah… a placebo effect? Is he just developing a fake crush because he feels obligated to, because he doesn’t have a  _ choice?  _

Does he actually like this prince kid, or is he just settling so he doesn’t end up alone? 

Which is more terrifying? 

Shoyo smiles at him when Atsumu and his mother walk into the dining room. He’s wearing an elegant black tarp across his golden silk shirt. Necklaces decorate the front of him, and they sparkle, but all of it was way overshadowed by his smile. As always. 

They sit directly across from each other. Food is placed in front of them, and Shoyo is staring at his food like it’s the prettiest thing he’s ever seen. It’s so adorably distracting that Atsumu barely even notices that no one is speaking. 

“Boys.”

Queen Hinata suddenly speaks. It’s the firmest Atsumu’s ever heard her, and when he bolts up into correct posture (he hadn’t noticed, oopsies,) her eyes are just as dark and serious and odd as Shoyo’s eyes had been out on the courtyard when they fought. 

“We don’t have time to dwell on anything anymore,” King Hinata says. His eyes are serious too. 

Shoyo’s face draws into a frown, “Dwell? It’s only been-“

“There will be a ball for your betrothal in 5 days.” 

A  _ what now _ ? 

“Pardon?” 

“A ball. Announcing your engagement.” 

  
  



End file.
